SUMMARY OF CROSWELL-SCHULTE CONSULTING PERSONNEL
Peter Croswell, Croswell-Schulte President and Lead Consultant
Peter is an expert in information technology assessment, planning, system implementation support, and operations management and management with over 35 years’ experience as a practitioner, program manager, and a consultant. Prior to his founding of Croswell-Schulte IT Consultants in 2007, he was a consultant and company officer with PlanGraphics, Inc. and worked as an analyst and manager in charge of the Kentucky Natural Resources Information System (state of Kentucky). As a consultant, since the mid-1980s, he has worked with hundreds of clients with a strong focus on local government jurisdictions, state and provincial governments, regional agencies, and utility organizations in the U.S. and Canada. He has also conducted major consulting projects for international clients in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and China. He has specific system planning and implementation experience in IT infrastructure management, GIS, records management, infrastructure asset management, SCADA, engineering design and analysis, plan/permit management and tracking, real property management and CAMA, public safety dispatch and records management, and ERP.
Peter received a Bachelors’ degree in geography and mathematics from the State University at Albany NY graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and Masters’ degree in geography and geology from Western Illinois University. He has had extensive post-graduate education and training in GIS, IT, and public administration. He is certified as a project management professional (PMP), ASPRS Certified Mapping Scientist, and GIS Professional (GISP). He is a former Board member and President of URISA and is a current member of URISA’s GIS Management Institute (GMI). He is also the author of the GIS Management Handbook (2009) and many other papers and publications on a range of information technology topics.
Sam Zhang, Associate Consultant
Sam is a technical and subject matter expert in a wide range of information technology assessment, design, and development work on systems supporting public sector and utility organizations. He has worked in all phases in software systems life cycle in multiple roles covering most areas of software system development using a wide range of software/database technologies. He has 22 years of experience in IT design, development, and system administration as a consultant and employee of multiple private sector, government, and university organizations. His extensive skills in database design and administration (including work in Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL environments) are matched by his expertise in the design and development of IT applications and services with a focus on Web-based environments. He is proficient with a wide range of application programming and development tools including HTML5, Java/Java Script, Python, C++, .NET, and other tools. His in-depth hands-on experience makes him an expert in software and database systems with a strong focus on Web application design and development. Sam is also an expert in database and software quality control, testing, and software configuration management. He has worked with system development and deployment using hosted and Cloud-based services. Sam has subject matter expertise in a wide range of business areas including transportation, utility operations, public health, GIS, infrastructure asset management, and financial management/ERP. He works with users and IT personnel to define IT needs and business processes and applies his technical skills in the design and development of IT solutions to support user needs. Sam has a M.S. degree in Information Science from Wuhan University and a B.S. degree in Information Technology from Xi’an Electronic Technology University in China. He has professional certifications as a Java Programmer and Oracle DBA.
Gail Ewart, Associate Consultant
Gail has over 20 years of experience in IT and GIS planning and management with a focus on state and local government. She is a seasoned expert in IT and GIS program governance, management practices, business processes, and data management. Gail has led several successful GIS-focused strategic planning and implementation initiatives and has extensive data design and management experience. Most recently, Gail oversaw the modernization of an entire state agency’s information assets in Oregon. She spearheaded progress on Idaho’s statewide GIS data development as its Geospatial Information Officer and in various roles on Idaho’s GIS council. As GIO, she oversaw Idaho’s broadband mapping project and helped bring GIS to the US Senate. As the Framework Coordinator for Oregon’s Geospatial Enterprise Office, she structured and supported a complex web of volunteer committees and instituted processes for data stewardship. In earlier years, Gail was at the forefront of using information technology tools and GIS to support water quality and related environmental programs. Gail received her Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Idaho and a B.A. in English from Boise State University. Her communication, problem solving, and consensus-building skills play a critical role in consulting engagements.
Jeffrey Laird, Associate Consultant
Jeff is a seasoned expert in GIS and related information technology needs assessment, design, planning, and implementation. He has over thirty years’ experience working with state, provincial, and local government agencies, U.S. Federal agencies, utility organizations, and international clients. Jeff has extensive experience in GIS and IT needs and requirements, technical database and application design, formulating workable implementation plans and schedules, and supporting implementation and deployment with client organizations. He has superb technical skills with programming tools supporting Web-based and non-Web applications. Jeff has specific expertise in legacy data and application migration and in the development and deployment of field-based applications and in the integration of databases and applications. Jeff’s extensive experience with GIS includes work with a number of software platforms including Esri ArcGIS, Intergraph, and Open Source tools. His discipline and subject-matter expertise covers a wide range of areas including infrastructure asset management, plan/permit management and tracking, environmental planning and regulation, natural resources, public safety and emergency management, land records/real property management, and utility operations. Jeff has a B.A. degree in Geography from George Mason University.
Colleen Sharpe, Associate Consultant
Colleen has over 25 years of experience with local government and utility operations and programs. This includes work in business process evaluation, policy development, management practices and the use of information technology tools to support client business needs. She has in-depth technical expertise with the development and management of GIS and related IT systems including plan/permit management, infrastructure asset management, land use planning, emergency planning and management, and real property. Her experience includes work as a land use planner, data services supervisor, and GIS services manager for the City of Raleigh NC. In these roles she led efforts in creation of a multi-Departmental GIS program, effective data management, integration of GIS with external systems, and development of a wide range of applications and services for users. She effectively uses her experience and skills in business process evaluation and improvement, stakeholder coordination and consensus building, and providing IT tools and data in support of user needs. Over her career, Ms. Sharpe has been active in the professional community with major leadership roles and committee work for the Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA) and other organizations. She has taught workshops, has been a presenter at national and regional conferences, and an author of professional papers on GIS and land records topics. Colleen has a B.S. degree in Urban and Regional Planning/Geography and additional coursework and specialized training in business administration, public administration, and information technology tools and project management.
Jerome Anderson, Associate Consultant
Jerome Anderson is a multi-disciplinary land management professional. Trained as an urban planner and attorney, Jerome practiced real estate, mineral and municipal law for ten years, with an emphasis on mineral title examination and conveyance. He has managed the design and implementation of IT systems and GIS to support real property administration, land registration, land law reform, land use planning and permitting, infrastructure management, and natural resource management. Jerome has consulted with a number of foreign governments in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and West Africa on land management, land registration, IT and GIS system implementation, and program policies and governance. Jerome has extensive skills in project and program management, business process and system needs assessment, stakeholder coordination and consensus building, and in the development of policies, management practices, and information technology solutions to support client business needs. He has a B.A. and M.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a JD degree from Duquesne University, a MEd degree in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment from the University of Illinois at-Chicago, and a PhD from the Newcastle University School of Architecture Planning and Landscape.
Matthew Croswell, Associate Consultant
Matt has expertise in urban planning and related disciplines impacting long-range and short-range land and infrastructure planning, permitting, and development. His 9 years of work experience in the public sector has included research, planning, policy development, and technical support for a range of development projects and decisions including transportation, emergency management, comprehensive planning, and alternative energy. He is an expert in the development and use of GIS and related IT tools and databases to support urban and regional planning. This includes the design and development of database and applications and related quality assurance procedures. In addition, Matt has in-depth experience on crafting polices and technical solutions for public sector Open Data practices. He has worked on the development of local government business processes and work tracking and measurement. Matt has a B.A. degree in Urban Planning and Geography from the University at Albany (NY) and Graduate GIS Certificate from the City University of New York.
Amadou Thera, Associate Consultant
Amadou is an expert in GIS, Land Information Management Systems, and related technologies such as real property management, infrastructure asset management, and document management systems. He is skilled in information technology needs assessment, business process evaluation, implementation planning, and system deployment support. His education and 12 years of experience has included GIS and technology assessment and implementation for a range of organization types and disciplines including natural resources management, mining management, governmental regulatory programs, public safety and security, and other areas of importance to local and regional governmental organizations. Amadou has substantial experience in program and system assessments IT implementation for developing nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). His skills in needs assessment, business process evaluation, and technology planning are complemented by extensive hands-on work with software and IT systems. This includes expertise with multiple database management software, ArcGIS and open source GIS software, document management systems, Spatial Dimension natural resource cadastral management software, and tools for database design and software development. Amadou also provides technical training to users. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Computer Science with a minor in Economics from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in the USA. He is also pursuing an Online Master Degree in GIS and has considerable post-graduate training in GIS and Cadastre systems.